Where Loyalty Lies
by AJCrane
Summary: Within moments after Dick Grayson's memories are returned to him, he is taken by the Court of Owls. What do they want with him? To become a Talon? Or something else? And will he comply after learning the truth.
1. Chapter 1

Where Loyalty Lies

Sequel to Memories: This is my take on what happened after the Court of Owls and is a continuation of my story Memories.

By AJ

Part 1

_**What went before . . .**_

"I WILL NOT! LET ME GO!" Dick's voice was filled with rage. He was fighting something in his dreams, a nightmare.

"Dick!" Bruce grabbed Dick's arms to try to restrain him.

Dick lashed out, socking Bruce in the jaw, thinking he was fighting the enemy in his dreams. Damian and Tim rushed in, each grabbing an arm to assist in restraining their brother.

"Let me go! I won't be your Talon!"

"Talon?" Damian questioned.

Bruce moved in at that moment to place a hand on Dick's cheek. "Dick, Dick. Snap out of it. Your home."

Dick's eyes snapped open. "Bruce?" His eyes narrowed. "How . . . what?"

"What do you remember?" Bruce asked.

Dick hesitated for a moment, thinking. "Everything," he answered.

"I guess those eight little words worked," Bruce said quietly with relief.

Then all hell broke loose as the doors to Dick's private balcony shattered as something large came through. It knocked Bruce aside where he flew across the room, falling against a bookcase. Tim and Damian both launched themselves at the large imposing figure, but it brushed them aside like paper. Dick's eyes became wide and filled with terror as he tried to scramble out of the way, but in his weakened state from being tortured and starved he wasn't fast enough. The large imposing figure grabbed him, pulling Dick into his arms then launching out the broken balcony doors and into the night.

"NO!" Bruce scrambled up from the floor, rushing toward the balcony and watched helpless as his son was taken from him for the second time.

In the course of the struggle, when Bruce fell against the bookcase, a small leather bound book was dislodged off the top, hidden from view. It was covered in dust. It fell open to a page that had been constantly turned to at one time. Tim saw the book fall and his eyes fell on the passage and he could not help but shudder when he read it.

**"Beware The Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadow perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them or they'll send The Talon for your head."**

/

"Let me go!" Dick screamed. "Who are you?"

The mask and armored man continues to carry Dick upward into the night refusing to answer, more attentive to reaching his destination than keeping an eye on his prisoner.

Dick twisted his body, bringing his legs up against the man's chest. Using what leverage he could achieve Dick gave a sudden push, forcing the man to let go. Dick found himself freefalling toward the trees. Twisting his body like a cat, he prepared to grab ahold of any branches to break his fall, but he didn't make it. Once again he was grabbed by the waist and jerked upward.

"You just won't take no for an answer," Dick quips, pushing against the man's arm as he saw the earth fall away from him.

"No, gray son of Gotham," then the man plunged a needle into Dick's neck. Within moments Dick's thoughts also plunged into darkness. His body goes limp and the man continues to cling onto his prize. He tugs on a rope and is pulled skyward into the body of a hovering ancient looking aircraft in the shape of a giant owl.

Bruce raced from Dick's room down to the study, opened the secret panel and slid down the pole and into the batcave. Tim and Damian follow after him taking the secret stairs.

The two boys watched as Bruce disappeared down the next level into the lab. Damian and Tim had not been allowed to go to that level. Bruce insisting on privacy. Both knew that Bruce had been hiding something, something dangerous.

"Keeping secrets, Father?" Damian had confronted his father weeks before. "If anything I should have a right to know. I am your true son."

"This has nothing to do with you or Tim," Bruce had said.

"But it has to do with Grayson," Damian surmised.

Bruce did not deny it, but said instead, "The lab is off limits."

Damian tried to change the subject. "Where were you? You were gone for a week."

"We will discuss this later," Bruce stated.

Tim didn't say anything. The look on Bruce's face had been enough. Tim could tell that Bruce was more than worried. He was terrified that what might happen would once again tear them apart.

"ARRRGGH!" The primal roar that came from the lab was out of character and brought both boys back to the present. It frightened Tim more than the icy stare that would often cross Bruce's face. When Bruce emerged they knew something that he had been keeping in the lab had escaped.

"Father, what is Talon?" Damian asked.

Bruce turned to his son with a stone cold stare of determination causing Damian to take a step back.

"They have him," Tim said, his voice nearly a whisper.

"Yes," Bruce answered, understanding what Tim was saying without the need to state it further.

Tim's face paled. As a child, he had also heard the stories, the unsolved countless murders that even Batman could not solve, until two months ago.

"Who has Grayson?" Damian asked.

Without saying another word Bruce handed Damian a small metal symbol with a bird carved on it imbedded in a tooth. Tim handed Damian the open book.

"Read it," Tim said.

"Is this for real?"

"Yes," Bruce replied. "They tried to murder me and were responsible for the death of Alan Wayne and possibly my parents."

"Why did they take Dick?" Damian asked, using his brother's first name.

Bruce didn't answer at first, knowing full well why instead he said. "I do know one thing. I intend to get him back."

Continues with Part 2


	2. Chapter 2

Where Loyalty Lies

By AJ

Part 2

Dick Grayson stirred to the faint sound of feathers fluttering. His head was throbbing and a large bird flew across his vision. His mind tried to focus and his thoughts went back to a long forgotten memory, more like a nightmare. He was eleven and it was after he and Bruce had taken down Tony Zucco. Bruce had gone to see a nearby neighbor on another large estate not far from Wayne Manor about starting a Memorial Foundation with regards to Dick's parents. Bruce had contacted several wealthy families that he knew and wanted to start something so Dick could remember his parents in a good light.

They arrived at the old Crowne estate and Dick remembered meeting an older woman, her hair was white as snow and she had very large eyes. They were an unusual color. The woman gave him the creeps because she kept staring at him. She carried a cane. The top had a bird on it, an owl, which she covered unless she turned toward Dick. Bruce seemed to sense that he was uncomfortable.

"Dick, why don't you go and find Mrs. Strige's sons," Bruce had said. "We may be here a while."

'I believe you may find them out in the barn," Mrs. Strige said.

"What are their names?" Dick asked, looking forward to meeting someone new.

"Tyton, Asio, and Otus."

"I'll meet you later, once we're through," Bruce said.

"Oh don't let the boys put you off. My brood can be rather raucous."

Dick headed outside looking for the three boys. All the time he felt like he was being watched by unfriendly eyes. It was a feeling he didn't like. He went into the barn to see if anyone was there. The barn was quite old. It was one of those old fashion barns with two or three levels, the top most level being where hay was stored. A flutter of wings caught Dick's attention as something large flew near him. It flew at him again, nearly striking him in the head. He heard a small peeping sound near his feet and he saw a small downy bird. It was a baby owl.

"Did you fall out of your nest?"

Dick picked up the owlet and looked up near the rafters. He spied the nest high up near the top. It was going to be a very long climb, but if he could climb up to the rigging in the big top, he certainly could climb to the top of an old barn. He didn't count on getting into trouble. Dick placed the little bird inside his shirt and found a route up to the nest. He climbed up to the second loft level using the ladders. He spied the pulley system with its rope and launched himself in the air to grasp it. Swinging on the rope and gaining momentum, Dick swung up to the lowest rafter. He climbed up to the second tier when the birds attacked.

"Hey! I'm just trying to help!"

Dick tried to dodge the birds as best he could. They tried to attack his head and face with their talons out stretched. Dick remembered bringing his arms up to protect his face. The bird's claws raked his arms, ripping the sleeves of his shirt and tearing the skin on his forearms. He was thrown off balance.

"NO!"

Dick cried out as he found himself falling. He tried to twist his body to catch the rope as he fell. He remembered sliding along the rope, his hands being rubbed raw from the rope's rough texture and he couldn't hold on any longer. He fell hard, knocking the breath from his lungs and landing on his right shoulder dislocating it. Pain shot through him and he blacked out. He didn't remember anything else until he woke up with his shoulder in a sling and his forearms were bandaged.

"Dick what happened?" Bruce said, his guardian at the time showing deep concern.

"I was only trying to help," Dick wailed. "They attacked me."

"Who attacked you? Your arms are all scratched up. There are scratches on your face. Did Mrs. Strige's sons do this?"

"No," Dick continued to cry as he pulled something out of his shirt. "I tried to put it back in the nest." It was the lifeless body of the baby owl.

Dick's eyes blurred from the tears that watered his eyes, trying to refocus. As the image of a figure approached and became more clear, Dick saw the man, the Talon, was upside down.

"Welcome, gray son of Gotham."

Continues with Part 3


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:** Here's another part since tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I might not be able to post another part until real late. Enjoy. Reviews are always welcome. And I really appreciate it._

/

Where Loyalty Lies

By AJ

Part 3

"This is total nonsense, just a fairy tale," Damian stated.

"Damian," Bruce chided. "When I was around your age, I believed that the Court of Owls was responsible for my parents' deaths. When I didn't find proof I denied their existence . . . until two months ago. They do exist. And they are the most dangerous foe I've ever faced."

"So, what is a Talon?" Damian asked.

"Don't speak that name," Tim Drake said, remembering the last line of the poem, fear evident in his voice.

"It's all right Tim," Bruce said. "It's just a poem. The Talon is an assassin, charged with protecting the secrets of the Court and killing their enemies. They are highly trained in many martial arts, specifically those arts that kill."

"Much like the League of Shadows," Damian said.

"Only one Talon is chosen per era to protect the Court. I found out that the rest of the Talons are put in a state of suspended animation by means of cold storage."

"How do you know?" Damian asked.

Bruce recalled his week within the labyrinth. It nearly drove him mad. 'Because I saw their resting place."

Bruce didn't want to go into any more details, about the fact that those that were chosen to be Talons were chosen as children. There were twenty coffin-like boxes that he saw, but one stood empty, its lid tilted to the side, as if waiting for an occupant. He recalled approaching that one empty coffin and what he saw he wanted to deny it as a lie, but he couldn't. He saw that one empty box had Dick's picture on top, but the picture was taken long before they ever met. Dick had been chosen to be a Talon, but he was the one they didn't collect because Dick had left Haley's Circus when his parents had been killed and became his ward, and now his son. Bruce continued his explanation.

"When they are needed they are reawakened using electrical current through the body activating the conductive metal in their cells that heals their body of all damage."

"Cells?" Damian questioned. It all sounded like mumbo-jumbo to him. "I don't understand."

"Look carefully at this tooth," Bruce said. "Notice the small piece of metal, an alloy made up of copper and silver. It takes years for the metal to be absorbed into the body. Tim, have you noticed anything unusual about Dick since you've known him?"

'I notice he seems to heal pretty quickly from injuries, faster than most."

"Can you elaborate further," Bruce coaxed.

"If he sprains an ankle, what would normally takes at least a week to heal, he usually takes four days."

"What about broken bones?"

Tim thought about what Bruce was asking. "It could take normally anywhere from eight to twelve weeks."

"Dick broke his arm last year. Within six weeks that arm was completely healed. The hairline fracture he received to his skull was actually partially healed when Leslie operated on him. And I believe the stitches he received will be completely healed within the next 48 to 72 hours."

"Father, that's impossible."

'I suspect the amount of Electrum in his body has not reached the cellular level, but is within his blood stream. That would take at least a century. He might not heal as fast as a full-blown Talon, but he's going to heal faster than you or me. There's still time."

"Time, time for what?" Tim questioned.

Bruce swallowed, remembering striking his eldest son hard in order to remove what he suspected was the key to the Talon's unusual healing abilities. Hitting him as hard as he did, he would always regret it, but without that strike, he would not have discovered that what he suspected was true. Imbedded in the crown was a "coin." He held it up for Tim and Damian to see. "I . . . This came from Dick's mouth. Without this, they won't be able to turn him, but if they discover that the tooth and its conductor is missing . . ."

". . . Dick's life will be . . ." Tim started to say.

" . . . They will either kill him or they will forcibly replace it with a new one," Damian finished.

"Dick won't allow that to happen," Tim replied.

"He may not have a choice. He already has some of the metal in his system. That's why we have to find him."

"So, how do we go about doing that?"

Bruce sat at the Cray and typed in several coordinates. Several building locations popped up on the screen, ones that he recognized all too well. They were buildings that had the name of Wayne associated with them over the past 150 years, including the Wayne Memorial Clock Tower.

"We start by checking each and everyone of these buildings again for clues. If Dick has been in any of them, he'll try to let us know."

"What if the court leaves their own clues to throw us off?"

"Then you can be sure it will be a trap."

Bruce gave Tim and Damian a list of what to look for that would be genuine clues that Dick might leave behind.

"One other note. Owls are nocturnal."

"So that means we'll be operating during the day."

Bruce checked the time. It was nearly 2:00 am. "Better get some sleep boys. There are 19 buildings we need to check and I would like to avoid the rush hour. Alfred, wake us in four hours."

"Very good, Sir."

Continues with Part 4


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** I'm feeling generous today. Here's another one to feast upon. Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy._

/

Where Loyalty Lies

By AJ

Part 4

"Welcome home my son."

"Not likely," Dick said. "And I'm not your son." Coming to and finding himself hanging upside down in an aviary wasn't his idea of fun. He'd been in this position before . . . he smirked to himself. No pun intended. It did make for interesting conversations. 'So what did you do today. Oh, I was just hanging around.'

"No matter, you are the Gray Son of Gotham."

"Who are you?" Dick asked the masked man.

"You already know."

Dick's eyes grew wide. 'My great-grandfather! How did he escape the cave? Bruce had him sedated with . . . Something must have gone wrong.'

"You look so much like him," the man said.

"Like who?" Dick asked.

Once again the man didn't answer.

"It does not matter. You will be what you are meant to be."

And what if I refuse," Dick shot back.

"You have no choice. It is within you."

Dick ran his tongue around his mouth and discovered the space was still there. When Bruce struck him that day he'd forgotten that Bruce had dislodged one of his molars. He had not had a chance to replace it. It had been a crown, a very old crown placed there by a dentist when he had been a child about six years old. It was the only tooth he could not remember ever losing. And Bruce had knocked it out with a backhand hard enough to take his head off. Dick recalled that inside the crown had been a small metal symbol of an owl. Dick also recalled the Talon's words; that he had no choice; that it was within him. And now he understood, because Bruce had given him a piece of the puzzle, Electrum. His own body had been absorbing the conductive metal since he was six, since he had been chosen, chosen by the Court of Owls to become a Talon.

'Like hell,' Dick thought. 'They haven't got me yet.' Then Dick gave a smirk and realized they had made a big mistake. "Sorry I can't hang around. I've got other plans."

Dick twisted his body upward to reach the shackles. He was aware that his great-grandfather was watching him. The shackles were the same as before and easy to release. A small faction of the Court of Owls had tried to take him prisoner when he was under cover. He clearly remembered a debate between two of the owls on what they should do with him, until they discovered who he was. That's when he blocked his memories so he wouldn't be any use to them. He couldn't remember how he escaped, only that he had and somehow ending up in Metropolis. He continued to check the shackles, allowing his body to fall back into position when his head became light headed. Dick had to think, but his mind wasn't as clear as he would have liked. He was wearing a pair of jeans that Bruce must have changed him into since he remembered oddly enough, wearing his old Robin uniform. It was strange because as each of the blocked memories were released, he was recalling not only the memory clearly as if it was yesterday, but he also was recalling that the memory had been from his past and there were slight differences.

For instance his face and his body wasn't the body of a ten year old or a 14 year old. He felt like Tom Hanks in the movie Big, which was why certain things with his memories didn't totally add up.

'Such as being in Metropolis when I had clearly been in Newtown when my parents died,' he thought. 'Also falling asleep all the time. That didn't make sense. I remember walking outside, passed Pop Haley's wagon when I heard the voices. I hadn't fallen asleep on the ground, but the memories I had with meeting Batman and him revealing to me that he was Bruce, those became clear, so clear I knew those were true memories, not wrong in some way.'

Dick had to stop thinking about how his memories were returned to him and how he was going to escape. He felt along his waistband and found the hidden pocket along the inside. He found the lock pick that he kept there for such emergencies along with another gadget. Bruce must have put it there, but where he was, it wouldn't be any use. He might be able to use it later. Dick started using this little trick, placing small gadgets that could be concealed in his regular clothing after being kidnapped several times in his life. He was surprised that the Talon hadn't searched him to prevent his escape. Dick pulled out the lock pick and prepared to use it.

'Unless, he wants me to escape,' Dick thought. 'This is too easy. Looks like I better stick around a little longer. If there's two things that Bruce taught me, things are not what they seem and get all the facts before you act.'

"You cannot escape," the Talon, William Cobb snapped his fingers and the owls in the aviary swirled around Dick, coming close, using their talons to graze his arms and using their sharp beaks to grab at his fingers when he tried to reach for his waistband.

'He knows!" Dick thought. "Aah! Oww!" Dick saw his means of escape slip from his bloody grasp and drop far out of his reach. The birds continued to batter at him until he couldn't focus any more.

"There is no escape from the Court of Owls. It is your destiny Gray Son of Gotham."

Those were the last words that Dick heard as his head swam and he passed out into oblivion.

Continues with Part 5


	5. Chapter 5

Where Loyalty Lies

By AJ

Part 5

Dick woke once more, but this time he was lying on his back in a queen sized bed. As his eyes refocused, he stared up into a very ornate ceiling, far more ornate than what Bruce had in his bedroom, even his own. The ceiling had a fresco of what looked like a woman from ancient Greece holding a spear in one hand and an owl in the other. Where was he? He heard the door open and the odd sound of creaking. He realized it was a wheelchair. He turned his head to see an old woman with white hair and very large eyes move to the side of the bed.

"Good, you are awake. I was afraid he might have mishandled you."

"Who . . .?" Dick closed his mouth once his eyes focused on the woman in the wheelchair. He recognized her even after all these years. "Mrs. Strige? What . . . What am I doing here?"

"You are home boy, where you belong."

"Dick's brow furrowed and he frowned. "Last time I checked, my name wasn't Crowne."

"My mother had a son, your grandfather . . ."

"My name's not Strige either," Dick interrupted.

"Listen, Gray Son of Gotham," the old woman's voice became hard. "You will learn the whole truth and come to accept it."

"Or what?" Dick knew there was a consequence. He didn't like where this was going.

"I feel once you hear the whole story you will choose to remain and take your rightful place, become the man you are meant to be."

"Become like my great-grandfather, a Talon?" Dick questioned, remembering what Bruce had discovered, something he had not been aware of even as a child. "You're crazier than the Joker."

"That is only part of who you are," Mrs. Strige said, denying nothing. "Seeing you now, I would not put you through that. The training is rather . . . extensive and harsh. You look so much like him. You are meant for greater things. Once I am gone, you will lead the family."

'Put me through what? This woman was crazy,' Dick thought. And whom were they referring to. Who did he look like to them? He shook his head and recalled meeting Mrs. Strige for the first and only time, in this house with Bruce when he was eleven. He was told that the woman had three sons, assuming they were his age. He had gone out to the barn to find them, but he hadn't. Instead he found a baby owl. The owl was killed when he tried to take it back to the nest. The parents of the baby owl attacked him. He didn't know then what he knew now. How could he be the head of her family? Then he suddenly recalled what he just said. The Manor was only a couple of miles from here. The old Crowne estate was situated on a cliff near the Gotham River. The house looked like a medieval castle. Bruce could be searching for him in Gotham and he didn't know. He had to get word to Bruce.

"Tell me more," Dick said stalling for time.

"Certainly my boy. I'm sure once you hear what I have to say, you will change your mind. My mother had two children. I was her second. Your grandfather was her first. Her father rejected her son because she was not married, and the child's father was a street performer. She loved William Cobb, your great-grandfather. She allowed him to take their son and sent him to be raised elsewhere. While she later married Mr. Tyto Strige, my father.

"What does this story have to do with me?" Dick asked.

"William Cobb was not a son of Gotham, yet he fell in love with the daughter of one of the richest men in Gotham City. William Cobb saw the world as Black and White, rich and poor. He saw his son as Gray, coming from both worlds. He called his son the Gray Son of Gotham. Do you understand now?"

"Gray Son?" Dick's eyes became wide. 'Grayson! No, it can't be. That would mean Bruce was right about William Cobb and this woman is . . .' He swallowed hard trying to digest the information. He was also still trying to figure out how William Cobb escaped the cave. The lab had its own power source. Nothing should have disturbed it. 'Bruce will probably have to investigate it later.' In the mean time, he still had a question or two for Mrs. Strige. "What was my Grandfather's name?" he asked testing the woman.

"William Grayson."

"And you?"

"Nara Crowne-Strige." The woman explained.

Dick thought on what he knew about his great-grandfather and discovering he was the Talon, an assassin that worked on behalf of the Court of Owls, thought to be a myth. Bruce had discovered that they weren't and an old woman in a mask in the shape of an owl led them. Dick thought on what he knew of the Crowne family. Bruce had him study up on the wealthy residents of Gotham City, especially those whose families went back more than 100 years. The Crowne family supposedly died out. There were no known heirs. Burton Crowne had no sons, just a daughter. And if what the woman said were true, that would mean this woman was his great-grandfather's niece. She and her children would have inherited the Crowne estate, unless . . . The implications were astounding. Looking closely at the woman her eyes were quite large and a very unusual color, almost the same color . . . as the barn owl that he found as a child.

Dick remembered something else, about the name Strige. It was obscure and most people wouldn't know it. Bruce though would always make up games to help his memory, telling him that knowing obscure information might help him in certain situations. Knowing what he knew now, Dick had unraveled a very important and most obvious clue.

'If only I can get this information to Bruce,' he thought. There had to be an opportunity. Sticking with it for now, he might discover other information. "I need proof that I'm related. I'm not just going to take you at your word."

"Of course," the woman stated. "Are you hungry?"

Dick realized that he was and he nodded.

"I'll have someone bring you up some food. Continue to rest. Then I shall provide you with proof and show you around the estate."

"Thanks," Dick said quietly. He watched as the woman wheeled herself out of the room. He heard the tell tale sound of a key turning in a lock. Dick sprung up to check the door. It was indeed locked. Most modern doors didn't lock from the outside. He moved to a heavy curtain and pushed it aside. The window behind it was barred. He tried to look out the window and saw nothing but a steep cliff. With a dejected sigh, he moved back to the bed. He felt cold . . . a cold that did not come from the temperature of the room. He didn't know what to make of the woman or her story. If it was true, he had a lot to think about. He also had a lot of questions. One question in particular was . . . No it was more of a thought.

'If everything she said was true, it was going to kill Bruce. Me . . . a member of the Court of Owls? No, they aren't my family. I know who my family is. I learned the truth at 15. I'll never be one of them.'

Dick pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head in his arms. He felt like ten years old again, lost and confused. 'Bruce . . . Dad . . . I need you.'

Continues with Part 6

/

A/N: To learn the truth that Dick is eluding to, read My Father is WHO? I decided to tie in one of my own stories as a twist.


	6. Chapter 6

Where Loyalty Lies

By AJ

Part 6

The day wore on and Batman, Red Robin, and Robin met on top of the Chessman building. Batman arrived first and his thoughts went to another time with another Robin and a certain king of conundrums. The Riddler had kidnapped Robin and tried to kill him by pushing him off the very building they were standing on. He had arrived in time to save his partner, but doubt now filled him on whether he was going to find his sometime partner in time this time. Partner, yes, he could still call Dick that. They would still work together when a case called for it, but Batman's partner in the eyes of the public would always be Robin. Batman and Robin were a symbol. And no matter whom they were underneath the masks, Batman and Robin would remain a team, thanks to Dick. When Bruce had disappeared, Dick had stepped up being Batman. He proved himself worthy of the name. Even so, there were times he felt like he let everyone down. Dick had been right on several accounts. He had been guarding his emotions over the past years, ever since Jason died. He was more guarded when it came to Tim, not wanting to get attached and yet, Tim was different, logical and forthright. He didn't allow his emotions to cloud his judgement when he was working on a case, but the emotions were still there, letting them surface when they were needed to express a point.

Damian was another story. Damian reminded Bruce of himself filled with a lot of anger. The boy had lost his childhood, not due to the loss of his parents, but because of one. Talia wanted to get back at Bruce and so used her own child to do so. Dick though had stepped up to the plate and was there for the boy when Bruce could not be there. The boy was learning the meaning of family that it extended to more than just one's bloodline. Still, he found himself guarding against loving Damian. Perhaps because he still had a hard time loving himself and that brought his thoughts back to Dick. Dick was the first person to teach him how to love and to open up. So when it came to Dick, the emotions he felt for him were complicated when it concerned him. Dick knew him far deeper than he really wanted to admit, and that often scared him as well. It left him feeling vulnerable. And learning that Dick was really his first born . . . something inside had changed not for the better but for the worst. The fears that he had already for Robin at the time became compounded.

'Dick had been right. I had become over protective, not trusting in his abilities as a crime fighter. Was I causing him to doubt himself?'

'Show some damn human emotion,' Dick had said.

'If I were to show any human emotion as Batman, my enemies might use those emotions against me. Not only that I might not . . .'

Batman's thoughts returned to the moment at hand as each bird arrived and checked in.

"The three buildings that I check were all deserted. Didn't look like anyone has been there in months, maybe even years," Red Robin stated.

"I checked six," Batman stated. "Half of them were in the same state. The other half looked like everything had been recently moved. That's nine. What did you find Robin?"

"I was only able to check two," Robin stated. "I didn't go into the third I was about to check but I heard voices. I stuck around to be sure who they were. None of them were Grayson, just some construction workers. I did find this in one of the two that were abandoned."

Robin handed over a slip of paper.

"The Crowne shall rise again when the Wayning one falls."

"Some cryptic message. They spelled waning wrong," Robin pointed out.

"Maybe not," Batman said. "The Court of Owls seems to want to destroy my family. First Alan Wayne, then my parents. Now they may be out to destroy me. They tried to destroy Batman. They didn't succeed."

"Why would they try to destroy Bruce Wayne?" Red Robin questioned.

"I don't know," Batman answered. "There must be something in my family's history, something that Alan Wayne did or didn't do to warrant this kind of hatred."

"Shouldn't we check out the rest of the buildings?" Robin asked. "Grayson could still be in any of the ones that are left."

"You two take the rest," Batman looked toward the darkening sky, knowing that owls also were nocturnal. "No, better wait until tomorrow. Do a light patrol and keep to the docks, crime alley, and the Narrows. We don't want to draw any more attention than what we have. As soon as you're done, report back to the cave. If you see a crime, do only the minimum to stop it, and let the police take care of the rest."

"Got it," Red Robin stated.

"And stick together," Batman added before both birds left the nest. "Whatever you may feel toward each other, you need to watch each others' back when you're in uniform. We fight crime not each other. Tim, you know the drill."

"If we get ourselves into trouble, cut and run. Don't take chances. There's always another day."

"Father, I can take care of myself," Robin protested.

"I don't want any argument. I know you can take care of yourself, but you won't be able to if you're hit with something like fear gas, or even knockout gas. You're there to do a job and to protect your partner, no matter who that partner is."

"Yes, Father."

Batman nodded his approval. Damian still had a lot to learn when it came to working with someone, especially when it was someone you did not like. Tim reminded Bruce of Dick in his earlier years, before . . . 'Don't go there,' Bruce said to himself. "We'll get him back.'

Time though had the distinction of slipping away and to cause all to worry, and sometimes thinking the worst. It would pass all too quickly. They've been through this before, the agonizing weeks that left them drained and nearly without hope. Dick though proved just how resourceful he could be. The trait came from not only his Robin training but also his training at the circus. Having lived in that environment for the first ten years of his life, Dick would tell Bruce stories how they would travel across the country, sometimes they would be welcomed and the seats would be full every night. Other times they wouldn't and they barely had enough to eat. The children and the animals always got fed first. Dick only hinted at how that resourcefulness was developed. Bruce suspected it involved thievery.

'Dick always referred to others, not himself.' Underneath the mask Bruce had to thank John and Mary Grayson for instilling in their son a deep moral compass. Recalling that, the doubt he might have had disappeared. Dick had made his choice a long time ago, long before he became part of Bruce Wayne's family, and that's what galvanized Batman now, knowing that Dick was out there and probably trying to find a way to let them know where he was so they could find him. It wasn't like the last time. This time, Dick was close to home, and they were going to get him back.

There were questions that needed answering, however, and this little clue just might give them something to go on. With Red Robin and Robin doing a quick patrol, Batman took the clue back to the batcave. This obviously was a cryptic message, but why target the Wayne family? There was something about his family after all these years, no since Alan Wayne, to cause the Court of Owls to take notice. What that was, Bruce would have to discover later. Not much was known about Alan Wayne, other than the fact that he had practically changed Gotham City over night with creating some of the taller buildings in Gotham. Could that have something to do with it? The other half, the first part, the Crowne, was puzzling. There were no more Crownes in Gotham. Or were there. Bruce changed out of his uniform and sat at the computer to research what there might be on the Crowne family.

"Master Bruce," Alfred quickly came down the stairs to the batcave. 'The bat signal."

"The bat signal?" Bruce frowned. "If Gordon needs me why hasn't he called? Plus, the monitors don't show any signal coming from Police Headquarters."

"No, Master Bruce," Alfred said. "You must see this. Come quickly."

Alfred led Bruce upstairs and through the music room. He led Bruce to the large windows facing toward the south and east. Against the night sky a small signal could be seen just above the trees.

"That's not coming from Gotham," Bruce said.

"No, Sir."

"That looks like . . ." Bruce thought for a moment. 'Dick! He's letting me know where he is!' Bruce turned toward Alfred, "Call Damian and Tim. Let them know what you've discovered. I'm going after him." Bruce headed to the study. It was the fastest way back to the cave. 'I just need to pick up a few things."

"Nightwing's uniform?"

"Don't wait up Alfred. It's going to be a long night."

Bruce hadn't gone far when something came crashing through the window.

"ALFRED! WATCH OUT!"

Continues with Part 7


	7. Chapter 7

Where Loyalty Lies

By AJ

Part 7

_**Moments before . . .**_

"Do you remember being here?" the old woman asked Dick Grayson as he walked beside her wheelchair.

"I remember," Dick said. "You said you had three sons. I thought they were my age at the time. They weren't were they?"

"No, but I was mistaken when you first came here. I did not know who you truly were at the time. I refused your guardian's offer. I should have checked further into your past then."

"How did you find out about me?" Dick asked, "That is about my family?"

"My Mother wrote a diary. She wrote about William Cobb, but she did not mention where her son went after he disappeared or his full name. She believed the child's last name was Cobb, but it was changed."

Some of what the woman said rang true., but she also knew something that he was missing. "Then how did you know . . .?" Dick did not finish his question.

"I learned about the reference, of the Gray Son of Gotham from someone else."

'Could she mean Haly?' thought Dick, but he didn't ask. He already knew about the book of names, but he didn't know how he had been chosen and what Mrs, Strige's involvement was in all of this.

"The Flying Graysons were a very powerful act. John and Mary Grayson, such plain names. Did you know your grandfather? You look like him, do you know that?"

"No. My grandfather died when I was just a baby. I never knew my grandmother, or my grandparents on my mother's side."

"Do you have photographs of them?" Nara Strige asked.

"I do. They're back at Wayne Manor," Dick said quickly, a hopeful opening that might give him an opportunity. "I could go there . . ."

"NO!" The woman said harshly then quickly softened her words. "Not now, it's growing late."

'She doesn't want me to leave, why?'

"Tell me more about your life with Mr. Wayne."

"There's not much to tell," Dick said.

"Come now, you must know some interesting secrets about him."

'She's digging for something.' Dick's eyes narrowed. "Bruce doesn't have anything to hide, not that I'm aware of. He was just your ordinary billionaire socialite."

"All those other children he's taken in. I was quite surprised by that. He did not seem to be the kind of man who cared about lost children."

"Well, he took me in." Dick shrugged.

"That's true a . . . circus performer . . . who lost his parents. Why didn't you stay with the circus?"

"The social workers wouldn't let me . . ." Dick found it strange that she didn't even seem to know that the circus was destroyed three months ago, before Dick confronted Bruce. 'Unless . . .'

A man with white hair and unusually large eyes approached and whispered into the woman's ear.

"I know you are concerned Otus, but there is no need. If you wish to proceed, then do so. Just instruct him to bring back proof that it's been done."

The man named Otus bowed his head to the woman then inclined his head toward Dick as well. It was an odd gesture.

'It's like he sees me as some kind of royalty,' Dick thought. Then his thoughts turned to what the woman had implied and a sinking feeling entered the pit of his stomach. 'She's going to send the Talon after Bruce. She doesn't intend me ever leaving this place. I've got to warn him.'

Except for the electric lights, the place looked positively medieval. Dick preferred the Manor. The Crowne estate was dark by comparison. Dick brought his hand up to grasp the chain around his neck. Surprisingly, it survived all this time, even from being hung upside down. He thought about the secret it held. Retracted, it looked like an ordinary dog tag ID, just a bit thicker. A small button near the top where the chain passed through operated the spring-loaded mechanism. He didn't really want to break the chain, but he remembered Bruce's words when he was just 12 years old and he was officially introduced as Robin. Bruce had placed the object around his neck.

"This is for those times when you find yourself in a situation that you know is dangerous, but you may not be able to get out safely. Find a means to use it and I'll come for you . . . always."

Dick knew he couldn't fight his way out of this one. Mrs Strige believed he was a long lost relative. As they toured the Crowne Castle, Dick noticed that each room had been specifically prepared. Another way of saying it, there were bars on every window, including on the ground floor. He was a trapped bird in a gilded cage and he didn't like that feeling at all.

'She expects me to let someone do all my fighting for me and to go into the family business, whatever that may be. She's nothing more than a glorified female gangster. I saw what they did to Bruce. Who knows what else the Court of Owls is involved with in the city. This place is getting too claustrophobic for my taste and this bird's got to fly.'

Dick spied the perfect place. He quickly snapped the chain. He palmed the small object and pressed the mechanism. Out popped the rest of the object forming a perfect bat. As they passed by a lamp tilted toward a window not covered in heavy drapes, Dick flicked his wrist and tossed the small bat on top of the lamp's surface. It fit perfectly, forming a small bat signal. Dick hoped it was strong enough to be seen by Alfred at Wayne Manor.

/

Just as Bruce was heading to the study, the Talon came crashing through the window, heading straight for him. Bruce dodged out of the way. The Talon leapt at Bruce as he crashed against a nearby couch.

"Alfred! Get out of here!" Bruce commanded. He didn't see Alfred leave, but he hoped that the Talon would just ignore Alfred and continue his assault him. Bruce continued to do his best to dodge the Talon's knives. He knew it would be a matter of time before one of the knives would hit home. He wasn't about to let that happen. Bruce wasn't wearing protective armor and that made it imperative that he keep his distance. Grabbing a shield off a nearby wall display, Bruce used it to defend himself against the Talon's assault. Their battle went on for at least thirty minutes, the Talon trying to break through Bruce's make shift defenses and Bruce trying to keep the Talon's knives from finding their mark. After a while, Bruce was beginning to tire, but he couldn't let the Talon know. Suddenly, the shield was torn from his hands and Bruce was exposed.

"Master Bruce! Duck!" Alfred called out then directed his attention on the Talon. "I'm sorry, but you have not been invited to this party. I suggest you cool your heals, Sir!"

Alfred pressed a button and a blast of cold freezing mist shot out from the odd gun he had acquired. The Talon suddenly froze in his tracks, stiff as a board and brittle as dried leaves. Having been caught off balance, the Talon toppled over, shattering into several large pieces.

"Talk about putting a man on ice," Bruce said. "That was quick thinking Alfred. Grabbing Mr. Freeze's freeze gun from the Hall of Trophies."

"Bruce!" Tim raced out of the music room followed by his smaller companion. "We saw Alfred with Mr. Freeze's gun. What happened?"

"Father!"

"I'm all right."

"That's what's left of the Talon?" Tim asked.

"Where's Grayson?" Damian asked.

"I know exactly where he is," Bruce said. "Alfred, you don't mind cleaning up this mess?"

"Not at all, Sir."

"Come on boys, let's go hunt some owls."

Continues with Part 8


	8. Chapter 8

Where Loyalty Lies

By AJ

Part 8

A white haired man stepped out of the shadows as his mother and Dick Grayson passed them. He watched the young man as he stepped off to the side. He wasn't sure what he saw. He waited for a few more minutes then signaled for the others.

"I do not like this Gray Son of Gotham," Tyto Strige stated. "He has none of the Crowne's build. Burton Crowne was a large man with blond hair, nearly white. He looked much like Grandfather. Except for the eyes, they could have been twins. They were strong, powerful. It is apparent that Grayson is athletic, but he looks more fragile compared to the Crownes. He does not have the Crowne eyes. They were green with yellow. Our mother has the Crowne eyes."

"Mother believes him to be the lost heir," Asio spoke the second son of Nara Strige.

"I have seen the painting of Burton Crowne," the first of two women said. "This Gray Son does not look like him. He does not look like one of us."

"Perhaps he looks more like his great-grandfather, Athene," Otus said.

"You know what his great-grandfather looks like," Athene replied. "You know when he was chosen. He has been our current Talon, and continues to be until the next one is chosen. And you know who was chosen and why. Do you see a resemblance between them?"

"Does it matter?" A second woman spoke. "She has decided not to have him become a Talon, which I feel is a mistake. He would have been perfect, but she will not be persuaded. She is blinded by what she feels is a means to get back at the Wayne family for their slight."

"A slight that happened more than 100 years ago, Cicca?" Otus directed his question to the second woman. "A slight that Alan Wayne paid for with his life? She continues to want to destroy the Waynes when it is no longer necessary."

"That is where you are wrong Brother," Cicca replied. "Mother had a good reason . . ."

"Enough. I do not trust the Gray Son of Gotham, even if he is the great-grandson of our Talon and Mother's great nephew," Asio stated. "He does not look like a Crowne at all. He looks more like a Wayne to me. Have you seen his eyes? They are not the eyes of the Talon. You know why we choose those with eyes that are gray. William Cobb's eyes were gray. We did not choose Cobb's son for obvious reasons. He was weak, and his son, though good at what he did, he did not have what we were looking for, but the son of John Grayson . . . he has the talent."

"But he does not look like his great-grandfather any more than I look like Bruce Wayne. I do not trust him either," Something caught Tyton Strige's eye. He walked over to the lamp. His eyes narrowed when he spotted the small metal bat lying on top. He turned the lamp off before picking up the metal bat in his hands. He palmed it then showed it to his brothers and sisters. Without saying another word, they nodded their heads in agreement. Tyton walked up to his mother, palming the bat in his hand.

"I need to speak to you in private."

"Tyton, what is it? I am discussing things with young Grayson."

'Um, that's all right," Dick stated, trying to find an easy way out. "I'm feeling a little tired. I'll just retire."

Dick walked back down the hall. He could sense eyes following him, just as before, unfriendly eyes. He passed by the lamp that he dropped the small metal bat on without glancing at it. He didn't want to draw attention to it. He just hoped that no one had noticed and his signal had gotten through.

Nara Strige watched Dick Grayson walk back up the hall then turned to her eldest son.

"What is it Tyton? This interruption was unacceptable. I was sure I was getting through to the boy."

"I found this," Tyton opened his palm to reveal the small metal bat.

"Where did you find it?"

"On the lamp facing out the open window."

"So, young Grayson. It would seem we know where your loyalty truly lies. Has the Talon returned?"

"No."

"That one has slipped up for the last time."

"Shall we fetch another?" Tyton asked.

"There isn't time. We must deal with him ourselves. It would seem the Gray Son of Gotham will be the last. Quickly now, before he gets back to his room."

/

"Master Bruce!" Alfred raced down the stairs to the batcave.

"What is it Alfred?"

"The signal, Sir, it's gone."

"WHAT?"

"I swear. Sir. One minute it was there. The next minute it was gone. You don't think they may have discovered that it was Master Richard who did it?"

"I think that's exactly what happened," Bruce replied. "Alfred, do you still have friends at MI6?"

Alfred changed at that moment. No longer the loving butler of the Wayne household. The butler took on a more ridged stance, and his face became hard. "You know I do, Sir."

"Then I can count on your discretion," Bruce handed Alfred a memory stick.

Tim and Damian approached both back in their uniforms.

"We're going after Grayson, right?" Damian asked.

Bruce pulled up the cowl on his uniform. "Yes. Tim, you take the bat copter. Damian you're with me."

They left Alfred holding the memory stick. He placed it in the slot and opened the file it contained. His eyes became wide at what he saw. How had Bruce acquired the recording? Seeing what Bruce had experienced from the man's perspective was chilling. How had he endured it? The images were stark and frightening, going from near total darkness to sudden light, revealing horrendous images. The next image was the most chilling of all, the red sarcophagi and the images placed on each caused Alfred to turn cold inside. And seeing what Bruce had come upon in that stark maze made Alfred realize just how formidable a foe they could be facing. How did Bruce find a way out? The last recording was the fight with the Talon and in the main room with the giant owl and Bruce's finaly escape. With that recording and Alfred's memory of finding the Talon near the river, he realized that part of the river had run underground. There had to be a hidden entrance. Matching up the recording with the plans of Gotham City, Alfred was able to locate exactly where Bruce had been held for a week during the dead of winter. Now it was up to him to be sure no one bothered the family ever again. That was one thing Bruce could count on when it came to his butler and friend when he needed him for special tasks, discretion being the better part of valor. Alfred picked up the phone and dialed a number only known to him.

"Success is never found. Failure is never fatal. Courage is the only thing," he stated in the phone.

A voice on the other end responded.

"Our knightly friends across the pond wait for you. Here is what needs doing," And Alfred outlined the plan.

/

Dick Grayson didn't make it to the room he found himself in just hours ago. Someone came up and struck him from behind. It was enough to leave him dazed, but not unconscious. He felt the sting of a needle then his vision blurred. The room twisted and turned. He felt arms grabbing him and dragging him down a flight of stairs. He tried to struggle, but the arms that held him felt like . . . sharp talons digging into his flesh . . . talons of an owl. Dick looked to either side and both men were wearing white masks in the shape of an owl's face. The masks morphed further until they turned into faces of white owls with sharp beaks.

"You are ours now," one of them said.

"You are pray to be wasted," another owl said.

'No! No! Let me go!"

"You are not worthy . . . Gray Son of Gotham."

Dick struggled against the talons that held him, but he could not shake them off. They continued to descend deep into darkness. Next thing Dick knew he was being thrown into a deep dark cavern, one that should have felt familiar, but with the drug in his system, it felt far more menacing and foreboding. Then a light flared around him momentarily blinding him. When his eyes could focus he found himself in a stark white circular room with only two ways out.

"Welcome Gray Son of Gotham, to the labyrinth. This is the training ground where the Talon makes their first kill. Find your way to the surface . . . if you can."

"We do not have a Talon to make the sacrifice," one of the white faced owls stated.

"No matter, his mind will provide it. And when he has suffered enough, we shall put him out of his misery. We shall tear him apart, and he will be alive throughout it all."

Continues with Part 9


	9. Chapter 9

Where Loyalty Lies

By AJ

Part 9

Dick Grayson fought the nightmarish images that assaulted his senses and mind. He heard the words of Nara Strige. Even though Nara had said she was the half sister of his grandfather William Grayson, Dick had one more secret, one that he was grateful that he kept hidden from the likes of this woman and her sadistic family, but it looked like it wasn't going to matter. He knew they would discover his little signal, he hoped it would have been later instead of sooner, but that was a moot point now, and now his life was in danger.

"Welcome Gray Son of Gotham, to the labyrinth."

"Is this what you put Batman through?" Dick raged, his mind slowly clearing. "You forgot one thing. Your hallucinogenic drug won't work on me for long. I was chosen to be a Talon. Remember? It's in my blood. What did you tell William Cobb? That it was in his blood, too? If my parents had lived, how were you going to get me away from them?" Dick spitted out the questions. "Well, just so you know, I may have been born to John and Mary Grayson, but I wasn't conceived by John. You should have checked my DNA a lot closer. Oh, wait a minute. You don't go in for such things. You prefer more ancient methods. Well here's a scoop. I'm the son of Bruce Wayne!"*

"Then you shall be the last," Nara stated. "The Talon has killed him by now and he shall return to kill you."

"I don't think so. My hearing is as sharp as a bats. You have no Talon here to kill me. And the only Talon you might have had is right here. Ahhh!"

Dick felt an electric shock run through him, his heart beating faster. He fell to his knees shaken.

"We can still turn you," Nara stated. "What was given to you can also be taken away."

"You mean that little present you left in one of my teeth?' Dick questioned breathless. "That's gone. You didn't bother to look. Now it's my turn." Dick rose to his feel and took off running within the maze and into the darkness.

"You cannot hide from us."

Another light flashed on, revealing Dick's location. Dick looked around, trying to find another route. He had to stay in the shadows. He dashed off in another direction, reaching the darkness once more, only to be thwarted with another blinding light. This time an obstacle of knives were thrown into his path. He did his best to dodge them, using his acrobatic skills to twist and turn his body to avoid their sharp edges. A few came close, brushing him ever so slightly, drawing a bead of blood. Once clear of the knives he once again ran into the darkened pathway. There was no way he was going find his way out of here if they kept turning on lights, blinding him so his eyes didn't have a chance of adjusting to the dark. How many obstacles was he going to have to face before he couldn't face them any more? He kept running along pathways trying to find a way out.

"You can run, but there is no escape."

They were right. There may not even be a way out. He was just fooling himself. Eventually, they would wear him down. He had to think. There had to be another way. Dick looked up toward the cavernous ceiling, so much like the batcave. Batcave? Bats! That's it! Remembering he had another gadget hidden in the waistband of his pants, he pulled it out. It was flat and Bruce insisted that he always carry one, whether he needed it or not. He kept one in the boot of his Nightwing uniform. This one, Bruce must have slipped into his waistband the last time he had been kidnapped. That was going on two years. He pulled out the gadget and pressed the button. It would be his ticket to finding the way out. Bats always found ways into a place of shelter.

When Bruce asked him what he remembered, Dick replied 'Everything,' and he meant it. Every memory had been returned to him, including memories that he thought he forgot. The little gadget that he pressed, he remembered exactly what it did. It would lead the bats straight to him, giving him cover, and preventing the owls from seeing him. Their numbers were small, that's why they relied on the drugs to trick the person's mind into thinking that their numbers were much larger.

"You have come to the end. Surrender, Gray Son of Gotham, and maybe we shall let you live."

"Surrender? I don't think so. You couldn't take care of me the last time because there were only two of you. You didn't think I would figure it out? You worked up that scheme to get me away from Bruce. What did you do with the computer components? Hire a few thieves to steal for you then dump the components in the ocean hoping someone would investigate? Did you tell one guy to lead me into a trap? What were you going to do with me, retrain my mind after you finished torturing me? You didn't expect me to escape. Well I'm not escaping this time. You have no intention of letting me live. I'm calling for reinforcements."

Within five minutes a cloud of bats, at least a thousand strong came flying out of the darkness and were surrounding Dick Grayson.

"An owl may hunt down a single bat, but when they number in the thousands . . ." Dick didn't say anything more, letting the bats take the lead. He held onto the device that called them. Now it was their turn to be afraid.

"Where did they come from?" Otus Strige cried out.

"They will lead the Batman here," Athene said. "You should have checked him for weapons."

"We must abandon this nest if we are to survive."

CRASH!

"I wouldn't if I were you."

The fighting was short. The Striges knew nothing of real fighting. They allowed their gladiators to do that for them, and when their victim had reached the point of no return, they would be the ones to stab their victim multiple times with long narrow knives, simulating the talons of a bird of prey. Dick knew that Bruce had also figured it out, had known that the Court of Owls were nothing but murders that their business was murder. They would choose their victims well, those that no one would miss, not really. And to make sure no one suspected them, they also chose from all areas of society. They cooked up the fairy tale a long time ago, maybe before the Waynes ever came to Gotham, but it was the Waynes who were their opposition in every aspect. The Waynes represented a different kind of elite, one that showed compassion toward their fellow man. The Striges and the Crownes, they were old world, representing old world ideas. The poor and the down trodden were to be taken advantage and ruled over. And neither was willing to give that up. The Crownes died out while the Striges went underground. No one knew what happened. They never showed themselves out in society or public. The Striges became like their name, only coming out at night.

The owls tried to flee, but the bats confused their minds and prevented them from finding the way out.

"No! Too many, too many!"

Arms flailed, beating the air. The two younger women coward on the floor while the men tried to beat away the bats. They continued to swirl in a cloud around Dick Grayson and the Batman. Robin and the Red Robin appeared ready to prevent the Strige family from getting away in the confusion. No one was aware of the tragic end that would befall Nara Strige.

"GET THEM AWAY! AWAY!" Nara shrieked, her wheel chair rocking back and forth, ever closer to the edge.

Nara Strige flailed her arms trying to shoo the creatures away as they flew around her. The wheelchair rolled back and she fell off the platform before any one could reach her in time.

"MOTHER!"

There was nothing to stop her fall and she landed with a sickening thud, her body broken. The others looked on in horror. They were quickly subdued. Batman found Dick Grayson in the center of the swirling mass of bats.

"You can turn that thing off now," Batman said.

"What took you so long?" Dick asked as he depressed the button and the bats dispersed. His knees felt weak, but he still managed to keep up right.

"Had to wait for your signal."

"Let's go home," Dick said. "Their cooking is terrible."

Continues with the Epilogue

/

A/N: *Reference to my story My Father is WHO?


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: This is going to be a long Epilogue. But it should wrap up everything in a nice neat package.

/

Where Loyalty Lies

By AJ

Epilogue

As they left the old Crowne estate, Batman insisted that Dick ride with him in the batmobile to keep an eye on him. Damian reluctantly gave up his seat and climbed into the batcopter with Tim. On the returned trip to the Manor, Batman noticed the cuts through Dick's clothing.

"You've been hurt," Bruce's voice coming through with concern.

"They're just superficial. Happens every time I try to avoid an obstacle course made up of knives," Dick replied.

"When we get back, let's take care of those before they get infected," Bruce said.

Dick didn't argue, hearing the worried note in Bruce's voice.

Once they returned to the batcave, Dick moved to the medical bay and removed his shirt. There were three even cuts all along his left side. Two of the cuts were superficial as he said. The third bled a little more freely and proved to be a little deeper than the other two. He lay on his right side, expecting Alfred to administer to his needs, but it was Bruce who did the honors.

"Where's Alfred?"

"Already cleaning up a mess in the sun room," Bruce said. He had removed his cowl. "We're going to need to call a carpenter."

Dick was about to turn over and question Bruce when he pushed Dick back into position to get at the cuts. Dick hitched in a breath as Bruce rubbed the cuts with an antibiotic cream then applied some gauze and some surgical tape. Bruce gave Dick's shoulder a squeeze when he was done. Dick suspected there was another reason why Bruce was taking care of him instead of Alfred and he greatly appreciated it. Often people assumed that Batman didn't have much of a heart, but Dick knew the truth. When Bruce wore the cowl, he kept his emotions on a very tight reign, which made it that much harder to get him to show any emotion. 'I need to relearn that lesson. It's not that he doesn't care, Batman just can't allow his enemies to see it. It's been a long time for both of us where we fully understood each other without the need for words.'

"You okay?" Bruce asked as Dick slowly sat up.

"Yeah, just thinking about a few things."

"Those will probably be healed in a couple of days," Bruce said.

"I don't doubt it."

"Let's look at your head. You know you had a nasty head injury. That's why you were having headaches when your memories were returning. Leslie had to go in and do some surgery to repair the damage."

Bruce ran his hands through Dick's hair above the left ear, but he couldn't find a single trace of the scar that would have been left behind from the surgery. Dick's hair had also grown back quickly to cover the spot that Leslie had to shave.

"They must have removed the bandage and your hair has grown back, rather quickly I might add."

"Compliments to the Striges for that little gift," Dick said somewhat bitterly.

"Oh I wouldn't be too harsh on them. I'd give my eye-teethe to be able to heal as quickly as you."

"You would Bruce?" Dick replied surprised, then turned toward his father and saw the hint of a smile and a light twinkle in his eyes. "Oh geeze, I though you were serious there for a moment."

"So, what did the Striges want with you?" Damian asked as he came back from putting his uniform away and returning from the locker room after showering.

"I may have some of that answered," Tim replied after he had showered and changed. He sat at the bat computer while Bruce worked on Dick's injuries. He held an image in his hand and a printout from an old newspaper clipping. "Crowne Heiress commits suicide six months after son is kidnapped."

"Mrs. Strige believed she was the daughter of Ariela Crowne and my great-Aunt after learning there was a connection to William Cobb and my family," Dick said. "But that wasn't the truth. She didn't look like a Crowne. And I didn't look like either of them." Dick looked toward Bruce, giving him a slight smile that matched Bruce's from earlier.

"So, your father was really the last of the Crownes," Bruce commented.

"By blood, yes. My father was a heavy set man for a trapeze artist," Dick explained.

"Let's move this discussion upstairs," Bruce said and he helped Dick off the medical table. Bruce quickly changed and they all walked up the flight of stairs and moved to the living room.

"Do you have a photo of your father?" Tim asked.

"There's one over here," Dick said and moved to one of the built in shelves by the piano and pulled the small unobtrusive photo that he placed there among the other Wayne photos when he first came to the Manor. "See, he just didn't quite fit the look of an aerialist, but yet he was a great performer." Dick said, showing an old photo of his father holding him in his arms.

"I do remember seeing him that night," Bruce said, thinking about when Dick's parents were killed. "Between the two of you, you look more like your mother. Your face is shaped more like hers."

"My father had very broad shoulders, which made him a great catcher. His eyes were gray, the same as my grandfather's and William Cobb's. My mother's eyes were green, sometimes hazel, depending on her mood. And my father could only do the triple."

"How's that?" Tim questioned. "I don't understand. Why couldn't your father do the quad?"

"He couldn't tuck in as tight. I did the quad the first time when I was eight, the youngest to ever do it. I was small for my age, more compact, like my Mom. I could do things that John Grayson couldn't. I was more athletic . . . like my Dad," Dick pointed out, and then glanced over at Bruce., the last three words coming out more in a whisper.

"You said your father's eyes were gray," Damian stated, latching on the physical resemblance instead of the athletic prowess. "But your eyes are blue . . . and that means . . ."

"That I wasn't a Crowne or a Strige. Not even a Cobb," Dick said clearing his throat and interrupting Damian's thoughts. He gave Damian a look that said he would explain later.

"What made you suspect you weren't a Crowne? Tim asked.

"I saw two paintings in the house both of them labeled Burton Crowne. We stopped in front of one when we were talking. Burton Crowne had green eyes and he had blonde hair. In fact, it was almost white. Another showed a man who had very large owl-like eyes and white hair. That one had also been labeled Burton Crowne. They both couldn't be the same man. They looked similar, but one of them had to be a lie. Tim, do you have that image you printed out down in the Cave?"

"Right here," Tim handed Dick a print out of a man with white hair and large owl-like eyes.

"This is the other image that I saw," Dick said. "Plus, you never saw them together.'

"That's Lophos Strige," Damian said. "Father had me read up on him because he was suspected of embezzling, but it was never proved. It was one of the open cases that the Gotham Police never solved."

"Nara kept telling me I looked like my grandfather. I saw William Cobb in the cave and I look nothing like him. He was also bigger than me and built like a truck. And not only that, every Crowne that I saw that Nara pointed out to me had blond hair. My hair is nearly black. The exceptions were my grandfather and father. Plus, Burton Crowne was old school in his thinking. He thought of himself as an aristocrat. He would have disowned his daughter for having become pregnant by a circus performer out of wedlock. So, the story of her having a daughter and marrying Strige, that had to be a cover or something wasn't right in Mrs. Strige's thinking."

"What made you suspect Mrs. Strige? Damian asked.

"After my memories returned, I remembered something and it fit. Bruce had me read a lot of esoteric stuff, stuff I never dreamed I would ever use. Strige is a form of strig or strix, which is Latin for owl. At one time you were also trying to teach me Greek, remember Bruce? Greek is similar to Latin."

"I'm pleased you remembered, Dick," Bruce added.

"And I remembered that owls don't create their own nests," Dick continued "I was eleven when I met Mrs. Strige. I found it strange that she lived in the Crowne house, but there was no one by that name living there. Then she told me she was the daughter of Ariela Crowne. I had no reason to doubt her, but I still felt there was something off once I saw those paintings."

"I looked up some old newspaper clippings," Tim said. "After Ariela's son had been taken by Cobb, she became a broken woman. For a short time, she must have latched onto whoever came close to her believing them to be her child. She later committed suicide.

"What about the clue that I found?" Damian questioned.

"The clue that Damian found didn't add up," Tim said "Why leave an obvious clue that was directed at the Waynes?"

"What did you find out?" Dick asked.

"At one point, Bruce had me scanning in some Wayne documentation. That was after he exhumed Alan Wayne's remains and during the week he disappeared. Among Alan Wayne's papers I found a connection between Alan Wayne and the Crownes six months before Alan Wayne died," Tim said. "Lophos Strige was the financial advisor for Burton Crowne," Tim explained. "He had been siphoning off the Crowne fortune. Alan Wayne discovered what Lophos Strige was up to and tried to warn Burton Crowne that Strige was crooked, but they wouldn't listen. And when Strige discovered Alan Wayne was the person responsible for the warning, he took measures to stop Wayne."

"He sent the Talon after Alan Wayne," Damian stated.

"Not yet," Bruce said. "He first sent several warnings. The book that Tim discovered was just that, a warning. Strige must have tried to drive my great-grandfather insane first. The labyrinth was a place where the Court of Owls would take their victims. After stabbing him multiple times he was dumped in Gotham's sewer system to be later discovered."

"I also found out that Strige had several children," Tim said "His youngest daughter was called Nara."

"Why would Nara believe Ariela was her mother?" Damian questioned.

"Ariela might have known her when she was a baby and thought Nara was her child," Tim explained. "When Nara was born, her mother died in childbirth. Not having a mother, she wanted to believe that Ariela was her dead mother."

"I didn't quite understand why she was called Nara, until I realized she had been named by her father," Dick said.

"So?" Damian questioned.

"Nara is another name for owl," Dick pointed out. "As well as Otus, Tyto, and Tyton. She named all of her children after various different owl names."

"And Lophostix means Crested Owl," Bruce pointed out. "We're never going to find out why the Striges became the Court of Owls. They go as far back as Gotham City's history, maybe even further than that. As far as the room of photos that I saw in the other labyrinth they were committing murders for what seemed like ages, and one of the photos was of Alan Wayne. His photo was what saved me from a grizzly end. His image reminded me never to give up. I will never forget the look on his face . . ."

"Well, those owls will bother us no more," Alfred interrupted as he walked in carrying a large platter containing several sandwiches.

"Have you taken care of that errand I sent you on?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, Sir," Alfred replied. "All have been put on ice and will remain so."

Bruce gave a satisfied sigh. It was over, truly over.

"Um Bruce," Dick said. "I know I said that you're not Gotham City. I just wanted to say . . ."

"There's no need Dick. This city is my home. And I know it can be messed up . . ."

"But you wouldn't have it any other way," Dick finished.

"I do owe you an apology Dick," Bruce said. "I never should have doubted you. If I ever start doubting you again, just give me a hoot will you?"

"Sure thing Bruce. Come on. Let's have some of Alfred's sandwiches. I find that I'm suddenly very hungry.

End

/

A/N: One other note: In the Court of Owls Bruce never saw the Court's faces. They wore the white Owl mask, even when they were preparing the Talon. You could see all of them either had white or blond hair, which meant they were related to each other.

And another. Look for My Father's Eyes Were Blue in Bat Shorts. Dick attempts to explain to Damian where his blue eyes came from.


End file.
